FARC KILLS PRIEST, ATTEMPTS TO KIDNAP BISHOP

C O N F I D E N T I A L BOGOTA 009640 E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/22/2012 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PTER CO SUBJECT: FARC KILLS PRIEST, ATTEMPTS TO KIDNAP BISHOP CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR ANNE W. PATTERSON, REASONS 1.5 (B)(D) ¶1. (U) ON OCTOBER 17, TWO ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS IN SUCRE AND CALDAS DEPARTMENTS WERE ASSASSINATED AND THE FARC IS BELIEVED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR AT LEAST ONE OF THE KILLINGS. THE FIRST MURDER TOOK PLACE IN CHALAN, SUCRE. (NOTE: SUCRE IS IN ONE OF THE URIBE ADMINISTRATION'S "REHABILITATION ZONES." END NOTE.) PARISH PRIEST JOSE LUIS CARDENAS HERNANDEZ WAS GUNNED DOWN AS HE WAS LEAVING HIS RESIDENCE. SUCRE POLICE COMMANDER COLONEL NORMAN LEON ARANGO ATTRIBUTED THE CRIME TO THE FARC'S 35TH FRONT, BUT A SPOKESMAN FOR THE GROUP DENIED ANY INVOLVEMENT. THE SECOND KILLING TOOK PLACE IN ANSERMA, CALDAS. FATHER GABRIEL ARIAS POSADA, A 66 YEAR-OLD PRIEST, WAS FOUND SHOT TO DEATH ALONG WITH THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE THAT WAS TAKING HIM ON A HUMANITARIAN MISSION. ARIAS HAD REPORTEDLY BEEN TRYING TO SECURE THE LIBERATION OF FORMER SENATOR ANCIZAR LOPEZ, WHO WAS KIDNAPPED BY THE FARC SIX MONTHS AGO. POPE JOHN PAUL II CHARACTERIZED THE MURDER OF THE TWO PRIESTS AS NEW ACTS OF THE UNJUSTIFIED AND WIDESPREAD VIOLENCE IN COLOMBIA. ¶2. (U) ON OCTOBER 20, THE COLOMBIAN ARMY FOILED A PLOT BY THE FARC TO KIDNAP FRANCISCO JAVIER MUNERA CORREA, THE ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF FLORENCIA, THE CAPITAL OF CAQUETA DEPARTMENT. AFTER THE ARMY LEARNED OF THE PLOT, BISHOP MUNERA WAS MOVED TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION FOR SECURITY REASONS. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: THE FARC HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST OF THE VIOLENT ATTACKS AGAINST RELIGIOUS FIGURES IN COLOMBIA, ESPECIALLY ANYONE WHO HAS SPOKEN OUT AGAINST THE FARC'S NUMEROUS HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES. THE ASSASSINATION IN ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S "REHABILITATION ZONES" MAY HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO SEND THE MESSAGE THAT THE FARC IS STILL IN CHARGE. END COMMENT. PATTERSON >